Veils are large pieces of lightweight fabric (usually silk) used by belly dancers to create flowing, atmospheric dances. The veil dance may be a distant cousin of North African and Middle Eastern shawl, skirt and handkerchief dances, but veil dancing as we know it today has its origins in theatrical performances from the 1940s by Egyptian dancers. This course will introduce dancers to basic veil holds, turns, and combinations using a single veil, and will integrate veil performance with the fundamental movements of Egyptian dance. Some belly dance experience required. Participants must bring their own 3.5-4 yard veil, preferably silk.

Shimmy it up in P-ton this fall! A brand-new 10-week session of beginner-level classes starts October 4 via the Princeton Adult School. Registrations have only been open for a few days and the class is already filling up, so register now at the PAS website to secure your spot!

After a conditioning warm up and technique drills, students will learn the foundations of Egyptian-style belly dance (raqs sharqui), focusing on isolations of the hips, torso, arms and upper body. In the second half of the class, students will combine these movements and set them to music by learning a short choreography. Appropriate for all ages and fitness levels, no prior dance experience required

UPDATE (10-3-2011): The class is now full! A big thank you to everyone who signed up. There is now a waitlist button on the PAS website if you would like to try to join this term’s class.